Device for increasing the average angular velocity of the cylinders of circular hosiery

ABSTRACT

In a circular hosiery machine, a linkage system together with an arcuate rack and gear arrangement provides for the transmission of an increased average angular velocity to the reciprocating, needle-bearing cylinder of the machine. The linkage system includes a crank assembly that is actuated by the drive shaft of the circular hosiery machine, gear train means including a rack segment gear that is connected to the needle bearing cylinder of the machine and lever means that are coupled to the crank assembly and to the circular hosiery machine.

United States Patent [191 Lonati 5] Oct. 29, 1974 1 DEVICE FOR INCREASING THE AVERAGE ANGULAR VELOCITY OF THE CYLINDERS 1,040,021 8/1966 Great Britain 66/56 1,111,797 5/1968 Great Britain. 66/56 713,583 9/1966 Italy 66/56 Primary ExaminerWm. Carter Reynolds [5 7 ABSTRACT In a circular hosiery machine, a linkage system together with an arcuate rack and gear arrangement provides for the transmission of an increased average angular velocity to the reciprocating, needle-bearing cylinder of the machine. The linkage system includes a crank assembly that is actuated by the drive shaft of the circular hosiery machine, gear train means including a rack segment gear that is connected to the needle bearing cylinder of the machine and lever means that are coupled to the crank assembly and to the circular hosiery machine.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ?ATENTEUncI 29 m4 sum 2!! 2 DEVICE FOR INCREASING TI-IE AVERAGE ANGULAR VELOCITY OF THE CYLINDERS OF CIRCULAR HOSIERY THE FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates, in general, to attachments for needle-supporting cylinders in circular mono-cylinder or multi-cylinder hosiery machines. In particular, the present invention relates to an attachment for such machines which attachment transmits the angular, reciprocating displacement motion to the needle-supporting cylinders of the hosiery machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known that circular hosiery machines require, in some of their phases of operation, the transmission of an angular, reciprocating motion to the cylinder, or cylinders, which bears the operating needles.

To this effect, devices are employed which utilize a rack segment that acts upon the needle-bearing cylinder. This rack segment is moved, in turn, by a linkcrank unit. The wrist pin of the link is usually located on the rack segment, while the crank is keyed to the drive shaft of the hosiery machine.

The crank rotates with a uniform motion and the rack segment, acting as a rocker arm, performs a reciprocating displacement so that the rack segments motion is transmitted to the needle-bearing cylinder. The cylinder will, consequently, effect angular displacements first in one direction and then in the opposite one. With every turn of the crank, the rack segment ef' fects a complete oscillation in both directions.

In accordance with the laws of dynamics and mechanics, it is known that the velocity of the rack segment increases from a first dead spot to a maximum and then decreases again to a second deadspot, prior to reversing its direction. The cylinder moves, therefore, with maximum velocity only for a given instant, while the remainder of the entire oscillatory displacement is carried out at less than maximum velocity. The average angular velocity of the needle-bearing cylinder will then be considerably less than the maximum obtainable velocity.

During the operation of the machine, the angular velocity of the cylinder must be kept within predetermined limits, beyond which the needles would perform incorrectly and would break. It is, therefore, evident that, once the maximum operational velocity for a correct operation of the machine is established, such velocity cannot ever be surpassed by the maximum angular velocity permissible of the cylinder. This results in an effective, actual, average angular velocity which is considerably reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the present invention to provide an attachment for hosiery machines which will transmit to the needle-bearing cylinder an angular reciprocating motion such that the average angular velocity of the cylinder approaches the maximum velocity attainable.

It is another object of the invention to provide an attachment for hosiery machines which will increase the average angular velocity of the cylinder by utilizing uncomplicated constructions and retaining a simple and trouble-free operation of the cylinder.

' Briefly stated, the present attachment comprises a link-crank unit actuated by the drive shaft of the hosiery machine, a rack segment pivotingabout a fixed structural element and connected to the cylinder by means of a gear train, and a lever-arm unit positioned intermediate the rack segment and the wrist pin of the link. The lever-arm unit comprises a first order lever such as a bell-crank pivoting at its fulcrum on the rack segment and pivotably connected at its driving extremity to the wrist pin or end portion of the link and, respectively, at its following extremity to the arm of the lever-arm unit.

THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, presented for illustrative and non-limitative purposes, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are side elevational views of the attachment device of the invention, respectively in the outer dead spot position, inner dead spot position, and intermediate position of the link-crank unit; and

FIG. 4 isa fragmentary top plan view, partially in cross-section, of the attachment device of the invention, taken in the outer dead spot position of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the device of the invention comprises a link-crank unit, indicated generally at l, a rack segment 2, a first order or bell-crank lever 3 and an arm 4. The link-crank unit 1 comprises a crank 5 which is keyed on a drive shaft 6 and a link 7. To the crank 5 is pivotably connected one end of a link 7, having a wrist pin at the other end which is pivotably connected by means of shaft 8, to the driving extremity of the bell-crank lever 3. The rack segment 2 has a bifurcated body see FIG. 4 the legs 2a and 2b of which are united to 'each other at their upper end by a transverse member on which is formed teeth 20 The legs 2A and 2B are pivotably connected at their lower end by means of a shaft 10 to a fixed structural element of the machine. The teeth 20 mesh with a gear 11 which is in turn connected, through conventional and non-illustrated means, to the needlebearing cylinder of the machine (not shown).

To the leg 2a is pivotably connected, by means of a shaft 9, the fulcrum of the bell-crank lever 3. An arm 4 has two laterally spaced apart sections 4a and 4b and is pivotably connected at its lower end, by means of a shaft 13 to another fixed structural element of the machine. The bell-crank lever 3 and the arm 4 which comprise a lever-arm unit, are positioned between the legs 2a and 2b. The upper extremities of the sections 4a and 4b, which comprise the arm 4, are pivotably connected by means of a shaft 12, to the following extremity of the bell-crank lever 3, which extremity is positioned on the shaft 12 between the sections 4a and 4b. Sections 4a and 4b move within the legs 2a and 2b and, respectively, adjacent thereto. The link 7 is located outside the rack segment 2 and is connected to the bell-crank lever 3 by means of the shaft 8, because of the presence of an opening 14 provided in the body of the rack segment.

The operation of the attachment device of the invention will now be described. It will firstly, be considered that the bell-crank lever 3 is disengaged from the arm 4 and integral instead with the rack segment 2, so as to define an axis 15 passing through the centers of shafts 9, and 8. This arrangement, thus visualized, will move, during a first complete oscillation, caused by a turn of the crank S, in such a way that the axis is displaced to and from the positions indicated in FIG. 3 at 16 and 17, defining therebetween an angle alpha (or). This will cause the gear II to effect two rotational displacements, the first in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. The above is a description of the classic and typical operation of the device for reciprocating motion. In this operation, the angular velocity which can be transmitted to the gear 1 1 reaches a maximum value when the link-crank unit I is in a position intermediate the two outer and inner dead spots. The maximum velocity is maintained for an extremely short time and the velocity will decrease immediately to reach one of the dead spots and then reverse itself again.

The following will now be considered: the bell-crank lever 3 is free to rotate relative to shaft 9, while being disengaged from arm 4. The rack segment 2 widens its angle of displacement alpha (0:), because it is now free to. rotate together with shaft 9 relative to shaft 8. The shaft 9, at the end, can complete one entire cycle, thus allowing the rack segment 2 (connected to shaft 8) to widen its path of travel. This widened displacement is however controlled so as to be utilized in the achievement of the scopes of the present invention.

It will, finally, be considered that the lever 3 is c0nnected to the arm 4. In this situation, the rotation of the shaft 9 relative to the shaft 8, will achieve, in correspondence of the outer dead spot of the link-crank unit 1, at maximum value beta ([3) shown in FIG. 1, because lever 3 is prevented from further displacement to the left by the connection of the arm 4 to the shaft 13. At the outer dead spot of the unit 1, the angle of rotation of the shaft 9 relative to the shaft 8 will achieve a maximum value gamma (-y) shown in FIG. 2, In correspondence with the rotations beta (B) and gamma (y) of shaft 9 relative to shaft 8, there will be obtained, respectively, the angular displacements delta (8) and epsilon (e) of the axis 15 with respect to the positions indicated at 16 and 17 see FIGS. 1 and 2.

The angular delta (6) and epsilon (e) are exactly those angles which permit the rack segment 2 to maintain, for a given displacement in the proximity of the two dead spots, a velocity far greater than it was heretofore possible, that is, far greater than when the wrist pin of the link is directly connected to the rack sgement.

It is to be understood that the invention has been described in a preferred embodiment and that the mechanical construction of the attachment device is susceptible of modifications and alterations, all of which are to be considered as being within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Device for increasing the average angular velocity of the needle-bearing cylinder of a drive-shaft driven circular hosiery machine, said device comprising:

a. a link-crank unit including a link having a wrist pin at one end thereof and a crank member, said linkcrank unit being actuated by the drive-shaft;

b. a rack segment gear train-connected to the cylinder and pivotably mounted to the machine;

c. a lever-arm unit positioned intermediate said rack segment and the wrist pin of the link of said linkcrank unit, said lever-arm unit comprising a first order lever having a fulcrum that is pivotably connected to said rack segment, said first order lever further including a driving extremity and a following extremity, said driving extremity being pivotably connected to said wrist pin of said link, said lever-arm unit further comprising an arm, and said following extremity of said first order lever being pivotably connected to one extremity of said arm of said lever-arm unit, the opposite extremity of said am of said lever-arm unit being connected to a stationary portion of the hosiery machine.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said rack segment comprises two laterally spaced apart arcuate legs connected to each other in the arcuate portion thereof by a member extending transversely therebetween, the teeth of said rack segment being formed on said transversely extending member.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said first order lever is a bell-crank.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said arm of said lever-arm unit comprises two laterally spaced apart sections to receive therebetween the following extremity of said first order lever, said sections being positioned within the two arcuate legs of said rack segment. 

1. Device for increasing the average angular velocity of the needle-bearing cylinder of a drive-shaft driven circular hosiery machine, said device comprising: a. a link-crank unit including a link having a wrist pin at one end thereof and a crank member, said link-crank unit being actuated by the drive-shaft; b. a rack segment gear train-connected to the cylinder and pivotably mounted to the machine; c. a lever-arm unit positioned intermediate said rack segment and the wrist pin of the link of said link-crank unit, said lever-arm unit comprising a first order lever having a fulcrum that is pivotably connected to said rack segment, said first order lever further including a driving extremity and a following extremity, said driving extremity being pivotably connected to said wrist pin of said link, said lever-arm unit further comprising an arm, and said following extremity of said first order lever being pivotably connected to one extremity of said arm of said lever-arm unit, the opposite extremity of said arm of said lever-arm unit being connected to a stationary portion of the hosiery machine.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said rack segment comprises two laterally spaced apart arcuate legs connected to each other in the arcuate portion thereof by a member extending transversely therebetween, the teeth of said rack segment being formed on said transversely extending member.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein Said first order lever is a bell-crank.
 4. The device of claim 2, wherein said arm of said lever-arm unit comprises two laterally spaced apart sections to receive therebetween the following extremity of said first order lever, said sections being positioned within the two arcuate legs of said rack segment. 